Sinking
by CloudNineInsanity
Summary: Sinking, she didn't fully understand what it really felt like until now. The sinking feeling, and how bleak it felt having the knowledge of what came next. (Warning: Character death) (One-shot)


_So… if anyone is aware of the song called 'aiSeNMa' I'll tell you now that is what inspired this, at least a few lyrics from the song… oh and a drawing I saw of Inez on DA with the lyrics of the song to the side. Ehem, yeah…_

_Enjoy?_

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If you asked her how she got to this moment now, she wouldn't be able to answer…

Yes, Inez Garcia the youngest member of the cybersquad didn't know how she even got to this moment now in the first place but she was there and nothing was cheery about it. Why? Again, ask the young Latino girl who now lied in a crumpled heap on the ground of a steel floor. Ask her and she wouldn't be able to say a word, just like before. She couldn't answer, in fact she couldn't speak, she couldn't cry, and she couldn't scream. She refused, that's why, so she kept her mouth closed and eyes shut tightly the pain was burning and practically unbearable.

What caused this pain? What caused this pain that felt like a fire was engulfing her from the start of her stomach to her whole body? A shock. Yes a shock. Maybe not what you are thinking, not like a tiny sting when a scoots around the carpet and then shocks you. No, something much worse, something that a robot would eventually die from as well, at least… on the setting the weapon had been placed on. There were no visible wounds, but the evidence was not needed because there were eye witnesses.

And who did this? Who would you expect to do such a thing? Hacker, THE Hacker more specifically. He held it, the dreaded weapon. He shot it, it struck, and now here she was. Here she was suffering, what a pity.

The green cyborg was off his rockers completely now, he had snapped only forty hours prior. No one in the room expected him to do it, but when he did they expected him to miss. No. He hit dead on, and everyone stared shocked, everyone could barley register what he had done, but when the coin dropped it was still utterly silent. No one seemed to be able to say something to the green borg with a sickening grin of satisfaction who declared that one wrinkle in his cape was gone.

All while Inez, she didn't even listen to the silence. She was lost in thought, unable to process this new development. She had gone to disable Hackers newest and most deadly machine and now she was laying on the cold floor, oh how badly did she want to cry and scream but she resisted, refused because she was stubborn and didn't want to give Hacker satisfaction of her pained yells and cries, but the Latino knew all to well that he knew she was in pain, it was impossible not to be.

And she had to ask herself… was it worth it?

All of this, was it worth it? She and her friends, mainly Matt and Jackie had come a risked their lives to help Motherboard and she should have known it was a bad idea from the very moment their lives were risked. It was a dangerous game they had played, a game of chase it appeared to be. But then again, she had denied this reality, saying it wasn't bad, it wasn't dangerous but in the back of her mind it always echoed that she was wrong. And she was wrong, and her conscious was right. So horribly right it made her sick.

This wasn't the ending she wanted, the one she hadn't expected in the very least. Was it even the end? Most likely yes, she couldn't push this away… couldn't play pretend any longer. Because reality was suffocating her-or it was the burn that seemed to heat inside her-she wasn't sure anymore.

Was it worth it? Her mind ringed again, risking her life… losing it? Was it… she felt like breaking down but she was strong, strong, strong, strong…. Biting her lower lip, she felt a single tear roll down her cheek. Inez, she was only twelve… only twelve and she had started this whole chase when she was nine. Didn't Motherboard realize how dangerous it was for them? It was a bitter thought, but did Motherboard even think about that-or care?-No, of course she cared… and yet…

Holding back a sob, the Latino tried to open her eyes this time but couldn't. But then… maybe it was better this way? Not to watch as the black built in the corner of her vision. Was it worth it… the longer she thought about it, the more she realized it was. She wouldn't have met Matt and Jackie or become their friend, Slider and Digit too. Wouldn't have had the greatest adventures of her life, wouldn't have even seen the beauty and oddness that was Cyberspace in itself…

And again she asked, was it? And this time it was a defiant yes.

Her once fast beating heart was now slowing and she was growing colder, she was close. Such a dangerous game, but she hadn't expected Hacker to go this crazy… he was practically insane and disturbed in the first place but he didn't seem to be one willing to murder. Wrong again. A tightening pain in her heart suddenly came. And what of her dear friends? She wouldn't…no. She could survive right? She was fooling herself once again or this was all a dream.

No.

That cold steely word echoing in the back of her mind brought her hopes down, no use sugar coating it. She was going to die, and there was no stopping it-as much as it pained her to admit-but her friends… they needed her and they still needed to beat Hacker, she couldn't let him harm them either. But her limbs have proved already that they were stunned and useless so she could only lie there and listen… that's when she heard the talking.

The shouts of anger, curses, cries, her name… it all blurred together.

In fact everything began to blur and this was close to game over. She really didn't want to quit, she wanted to hold onto reality… Inez didn't want to succumb to it. Instead she wanted to think of the lies, not let go and believe and hope it wouldn't get to her. But she saw the lies she was feeding herself, and held back another sob.

She barley even recognized her friends on each of her sides, calling to her… she felt numb all over. No, she couldn't hold on any longer, the Latino was losing and it was getting stronger. In a weak attempt, she tried to say the names of her friends and tell them that it was going to be okay but it all came out jumbled gibberish. Sadly, she could barley even recognize her own voice. It sounded so distant and so weary… she didn't like that and she didn't try again.

She felt their hands on her, lifting her up. How long had it been since that single moment? No one had any idea and it didn't matter.

_Sinking._

The word suddenly came to mind, making her feel uncomfortable… Sinking, she didn't fully understand what it really felt like until now. The sinking feeling, and how bleak it felt having the knowledge of what came next. That's what this was… that feeling, and that's the only way she could explain it with her weakening mind.

And like that of a ocean wave crashing down on her, everything started to fade… mainly the voices of her friends telling her she better live or she was going to. It made her heart twist as it was on it's final beats.

This isn't the way she wanted to end it, she was counting to infinity, hoping that their adventure would never end but it didn't seem so. She at least hoped that it could have a happier ending then this-one that didn't involve destruction and her own death-but again, it didn't seem so and it appeared to be to late to do anything about it.

Oh, she was going to miss it all… Cyberspace, her friends, and…_her parents_.

Her parents.

It brought another pained twist to her heart, she never thought about how it would be for them when they realize that they lost their only daughter and it only made Inez guilty. She didn't intend to make them suffer, but… she couldn't stop fate now could she? And now on her final heart beat… Inez wished she could turn back time-not knowing that that was what her friends were thinking-and stop Hacker sooner and stop her death from happening.

And then the beat dropped, almost as if the words 'ERROR' flashed in her mind and she knew it was game over now. One last shaky breath passed through her lips and she slipped away-and felt horrible about doing so but she couldn't stay any longer.

If you asked how she got there, there would be no answer. But there was a guarantee-other then her parting regrets and guilt-that it'd all been worth it, even if some wouldn't think so.

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_So what did you think? I hope it was good… oh and I added a slight reference to the song and a slight reference to another fic on here. Can you guess which one? Plus, sorry for all the angst… but I love writing it, even if it is crappy and choppy._


End file.
